Prodigy By Marie Lu

Book Details

Author: Marie Lu

Ages: 12+

Rating: 6/10

Number of Pages: 354

Plot: Seven days after narrowly escaping Los Angeles, Day is believed dead and June missing by the people of the Republic. What they don't know is June and Day are on the run from the Republic after escaping Day's planned execution. Day is still reeling from the sacrifice of his brother whilst June is coming to terms with coming the Republic's most notorious traitor. Desperate and alone, June and Day seek help from the Patriots - a rebel group whose main ambition is to bring down the Republic. But changes are occurring in the Republic, the Elector is dead and his son, a young and inexperienced politician, has taken over. The Republic is at its weakest and the Patriots have a plan - to use the Republic's old 'prodigy' to get close enough to the new Elector and assassinate him. June is conflicted - help the Patriots in a staged coup and turn her back on the Republic or abandon the Patriots and Day. Torn between the Republic and the love of her life, June must choose but can her and Day trust the Patriots and their leader? Or is there a bigger force at play?

Review: So if you read my review of Legend you will understand that I had some apprehensions about this series and my main motive behind continuing with the series was to see how the political aspect would develop. I started this book at the end of January and to be honest found it difficult to get in to right away and I don't know if this is because I wasn't completely enamoured with the first instalment or because the first part of the book seemed to drag. The first fifty pages or so seemed incredibly slow and placid in comparison to the first book, there lacked the same level of action and twists and turns that made the first book so interesting.  However, once the plot was finally set up I must say the that the action and the coup were depicted beautifully and in such a way that made the plot quite gripping and compelling.


Lu did, as I had hoped, explore the whole political aspect of the Republic which made the plot more interesting for me. The planning of the coup, especially, made the plot even more intriguing; I feel that other dystopia writers have used the notion of coups and uprisings but, unlike Lu, fail to effectively set up the possibility of failure and consequence. In addition, I love the contrast between the Republic and the Colonies. Lu doesn't follow the traditional path of having a corrupt and almost dictatorial system and a dream-like world which the characters wish to be a part of, Lu presents both the Republic and the Colonies as being corrupt and dangerous. This again made the book more interesting and the story more compelling.


However, there were some aspects of the book that I felt were a disappointment. The character of June, for example, I feel lacked believability. In the first book I had my apprehensions about the main protagonists, mainly about their relationship, but in the second book I found myself hating June and her narrative. I feel that her true potential, as a character, was not truly realised. Lu had a stereotypical focus on her love life, setting up yet another love triangle that Young Adult books seem to favour. This may be because I seem to have read a lot of YA fiction recently, but I am truly sick of these love triangles - they add little to the plot and ultimately just bore me. If anyone has read this book, you will know that even the ending had an unnecessary focus on June's love life.


Overall, I can't say I hated this book because it explored themes that other dystopian novels have failed to do recently, like political dangers. The plot also, much like the first in the instalment, remained to be unpredictable, full of twists and turns that made the story compelling. Despite this, there were aspects of the book that I didn't like. The book, unlike the first, seemed to drag at the beginning which ultimately lengthened the time I read the book in. As well as this, Lu's focus on the love triangle and June's love life made the book uninteresting and similar to all the other dystopian Young Adult books. This sequel I felt was mediocre, much like the first book, I feel that I am left needing to know more. I feel that because of this I cannot truly judge this series as a whole without reading the final instalment just to see if Lu finally reveals more about the fantasy world she has created and whether she abandons this ridiculously unnecessary love triangle that she has suddenly included.


Have you read 'Prodigy'? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!